This Russian Surface-to-Air Missile Couldn't Quite Get In the Air

A Russian surface-to-air missile crashed back to Earth when its rocket motor failed to ignite, starting a fire that damaged the launcher system. The incident was caught on video by a Russian Army missile crewman.

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According to the video description, the incident took place at the Ashuluk Firing Range, a missile base in southwestern Russia. The S-300 transporter/erector/launcher vehicle is parked behind a berm, and the cameraman appears to be filming from a nearby vehicle, possibly a MAZ-543 8x8 tractor.

The missile is expelled from the launch tube, but the solid rocket fuel engine fails to ignite. The S-300 missile falls back to Earth and crashes to the ground, whereupon the rocket fuel begin to dutifully cook off. The cameraman appears to panic when he realizes the missile has failed but continues filming.

Although the rocket fuel ignites the warhead does not appear to detonate. Depending on the version, a S-300 missile could carry a warhead anywhere between 53 to 330 pounds. If it did have a warhead, it was likely outfitted with a form of high explosive designed not to accidentally detonate due to fire or nearby explosions. So-called insensitive munitions are growing increasingly common—the S-300's American counterpart, Patriot, uses an insensitive warhead. It's also possible that the missile carried a dummy warhead—which would explain the cameraman's decision to continue filming. Here are pics of the of the aftermath. The pictures appear consistent with a fire but not an explosion.

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The S-300 utilizes what is called a "cold" launch system. The missile is expelled pneumatically from a launch tube and the rocket motor kicks in at a predetermined height. This is done for various reasons, safety being one of them, but also so the tube can be re-used.

The S-300 is a highly successful missile system first fielded by the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The missile is deployed on Russian Navy ships and by Russian air defense forces, and the many versions can shoot down everything from a low-flying cruise missile to an incoming ballistic missile warhead. The S-300 system has been continually updated over the years, despite the introduction of improved S-400 and S-500 missiles.

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The Russian Army's Ashuluk Firing Range has had a number of mishaps over the years. In 2011, an explosion during the disposal of ammunition killed six soldiers and wounded 12. Another explosion in 2012 wounded two soldiers and a third explosion in August 2013 killed two draftees.

This is not the first time an S-300 launch failure has been recorded. Here are two other instances where a S-300—or a Russian missile claimed to be an S-300—failed. If you have purchased S-300s from Russia it's probably a good idea to hold onto your receipt.

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